Thermoplastic resins have lower specific gravity than glass or metals, and also have excellent mechanical properties such as moldability, impact resistance, and the like. Plastic products prepared using such thermoplastic resins have rapidly replaced glass and metals in various fields, including electric and electronic products, automobile parts, etc.
In recent years, there has been an increasing demand for products having a low-gloss appearance. Gloss-less paint has been applied to the surface of plastic products to provide a low gloss surface. There are, however, environmental concerns associated with the same. Accordingly, there has been an increased demand for low-gloss resins.
Conventionally, low-gloss resins have been prepared by using or modifying large-sized rubber particles. However, such a method can have problems, for example, the low-gloss effect can be poor, and impact strength and heat resistance can be degraded.
As another method, a method of graft-polymerizing a monomer such as ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid onto a resin to prepare a copolymer has been used. This copolymer can have various good physical properties, but heat resistance thereof can suddenly degrade.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,460,742 discloses a low-gloss resin composition in which a cross-linked copolymer is used. Such a resin composition can have a matte appearance when large-sized rubber particles or a matting agent is added. However, the resin composition can require an excessive amount of the matting agent, which can degrade impact strength and temperature resistance.